They were also briefed about Kuga’s in-car technologies as one of the major selling points of the SUV, including a demonstration of Ford’s award-winning SYNC system, which is able to communicate with local customers in their mother tongue.

To further celebrate the SUV’s launch, a party themed “Kuga Night” was held on Jan. 24, consisting of an LED show and 3D holographic video footage to emphasize the adventurous and free spirit that Kuga stands for.

Journalists set out on a drive over 100-kilometers long the next morning, from the hotel in Xiamen to the Zhangzhou Volcanic and Geological Park. The route involved national and provincial highways as well as rural roads, a perfect combination to test the Kuga’s on-road and off-road capabilities.

“Sharing a similar powertrain system with Volkswagen’s Tiguan — both with 2.0L turbocharged engine and six-speed manual/automatic transmission, I felt Kuga is obviously the better performer here,” said Zhou Weili from Guangzhou Daily. “You can feel being pushed back when accelerating.”

Zhou’s words were echoed by Huang Shaohua from China Youth Daily, who said Kuga’s competitiveness in the medium SUV segment will be “particularly strong.”

Others were also impressed by the smart features that the SUV displayed during the drive.

“The active parking assistant system of the all-new Ford Kuga was impressive, it will be not only a gift for new drivers, also something that an experienced driver can enjoy,” said Ding Yanji from Liberation Daily. “The other one I particularly like would be the hands-free liftgate, it can be opened by a simple sweep of your leg.”

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